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Of the films I saw, the best 2011-release films were:
Attack the Block
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
A Boy and His Samurai
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I think only the last one is eligible for the Best Picture Academy Award, as the rest were all made by countries other than USA. I think Elite Squad has a good chance at the Best Foreign Film category.

I haven’t seen Contagion yet, but knowing what I know about the production, it sounds like the science may have been pretty well portrayed.

These are all the movies I saw last year*, except for the ones I forgot about:

Source Code
Summary: Ground Hog Day as played by a Phillip K. Dick cover band. Better and worse than it sounds.
Oscar Odds: Maybe a screenplay nod? Or Gyllenhaal? Wouldn’t bet on it.

Super 8
Summary: JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg relive the glory days of Amblin with great success.
Oscar Odds: I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t get a good share of nominations but it’s not “serious” enough to take them home.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Summary: Not as aggressively bad as the Burton flick, just preachy and boring.
Oscar Odds: Maybe screenplay, VFX, or whatever Andy Serkis is. Largely dependent on the power of the PETA vote.

Fright Night
Summary: A fun vampire movie? What has the world come to?
Oscar Odds: While I’d like to see Farrell or Tennant get a Supporting Actor nod I’m not getting my hopes up.

J Edgar
Summary: The FBI was built by a neurotic, paranoid, megalomaniacal closet case.
Oscar Odds: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Makeup, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Summary: Harry is Jesus, Neville is a bad-ass, Harmony shippers are morons.
Oscar Odds: Dead on arrival.

*that are eligible for this years Oscars. Troll Hunter may be the best film ever made but it was released in Norway in 2010.

The only film* I saw that was released in 2011 was The Cup. What, you’ve never heard of it? I’m shocked, shocked I say! An Australian feel good flick about the Melbourne Cup horse race would have no chance for anything even if it were good, which it wasn’t.